In Preaching Articles: "Mistake"

The Most Common Mistake Preachers Make

By Dr. Frank A. Thomas on May 21, 2026

Preaching coach Dr. Frank Thomas believes great preaching starts with strong sermon structure. He shares how it's done.

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-9, John 15:1-10

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, preaching

The Dumbest Thing I Ever Did As A Pastor

By Charles Stone on Oct 17, 2024

What's the dumbest mistake you've every made as a pastor?

Tags: mistakes, Pastoral Ministry

10 Mistakes Churches Make At Christmastime

By Jonathan Howe on Dec 20, 2024

Unfortunately stress can lead churches to plan poorly and make unnecessary mistakes. Here are ten such mistakes to avoid in your church this Christmas.

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Holidays, prepare, focus on GOD, Christmas Gospel, church priorities, church leadership  (view more)  (view less)

7 Ways Great Leaders Handle Their Mistakes

By Carey Nieuwhof on Jul 1, 2024

What makes leaders great is not that they stop making mistakes. What makes them great is how they handle their mistakes.

Scripture: Exodus 32:21-24, 2 Samuel 12:13-16

Tags: Humility, leadership, mistakes, Godly Leaders, Good leaders, practical advice, Correcting Mistakes, Problem Solver, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Top 13 Preaching Mistakes

By Bob Hostetler on Jan 12, 2025

A practical guide outlining 13 common preaching mistakes, with tips to avoid them and deliver sermons that are clear, Christ-centered, and spiritually nourishing.

Tags: Sermon Preparation, preaching, expository preaching, sermon preparation, Preaching Tips, Preaching, Homiletics, preaching tips, Pastoral Ministry, Expository Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

5 Mistakes Churches Make With Money

By Kent Woodyard on Mar 19, 2021

My article last week focused on a particularly negative reaction I received to a blog post about online giving. That response – and them is understanding it belied – galvanized me to talk about generosity,stewardship, and all things giving even more than I had before.

Tags: Money, Giving, mistakes, gratitude

The Most Common Preaching Mistake: No Hook

By Bruce D. Johnson on Aug 25, 2023

Many sermons lose listeners in the first few minutes. Effective preaching begins by connecting the message to the real struggles and questions of the congregation.

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:8, Matthew 13:34, Colossians 4:6, 1 Corinthians 9:22

Tags: Preaching, mistakes, Homiletics, interest, hook, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

A Dozen Bad Easter Eggs: 12 Mistakes We Should Avoid This Year

By Joe Mckeever on Mar 16, 2026

Joe McKeever gets real with advice learned by the hard experience of many Easters.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Tags: Easter, Preaching, mistakes, Fail, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

3 Mistakes Pastors Make With Commentaries

By Peter Mead on May 5, 2025

Commentaries help with study, not sermon writing. Avoid atomized thinking, over-quoting, and needless citations to keep preaching clear and transformative.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15, Nehemiah 8:8, Acts 17:11, 1 Timothy 4:13-16

Tags: Preaching, BIBLE STUDY, Commentary, Bible Study, sermon prep, Sermon Prep, bible study, preaching, Sermon prep, commentary  (view more)  (view less)

7 Dangerous Church Hiring Mistakes

By Brian Orme on Mar 27, 2024

We don’t want you to drop $300K (or more) of Kingdom funds on bad staffing when it should go toward Gospel-centered initiatives. So, here are seven hiring mistakes you want to avoid at all costs.

Tags: Church, Preaching, mistakes, church and business, hiring, preaching, church  (view more)  (view less)

5 Mistakes Most Preachers Make

By Carey Nieuwhof on Aug 1, 2022

"So maybe you’re a preacher, or you listen to preachers (or stopped listening to preachers). Almost everyone has a perspective on what makes or doesn’t make for a great sermon."

Tags: Teaching, Preaching, Simplicity, effective, pastoral leadership, Pastoral Ministry, preaching Christ, Effective Teaching, preaching, teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Top 3 Mistakes Churches Make With New Believers

By Bob Franquiz on May 8, 2020

Discover the three mistakes churches make that keep new believers from "sticking."

Tags: Outreach, Discipleship, Assimilation, New believer, Church General  (view more)  (view less)

3 Mistakes To Avoid When Preaching Genesis

By Peter Mead on May 12, 2021

Genesis is foundational to the whole Bible, but it is often mishandled in the pulpit. Avoid three common errors that flatten the text and weaken proclamation.

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-24, Genesis 4:1-26, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 50:20  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Old Testament, Preaching, mistakes, teach, Interpretation, preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Aim For The Ear

By Hershael York on May 23, 2025

Preaching is fundamentally an oral event, not a written one. Effective preachers understand that delivery, connection, and presence are essential to communicating the Word.

Scripture: Acts 2:37, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Corinthians 2:4, Nehemiah 8:8

Tags: preaching, Heart, Preaching, mistakes, Head, connection  (view more)  (view less)

Five Things To Avoid When Preaching A Funeral

By John Pond on Jun 25, 2021

Funeral preaching requires care, clarity, and gospel hope. Faithful pastors must comfort the grieving while pointing listeners to Christ and eternity.

Scripture: Psalm 116:15, John 11:25-26, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Philippians 1:21-23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Death, Heaven, Preaching, mistakes, Funeral, preaching  (view more)  (view less)